Reviews@24Panels: IRON MAN 3 (2013)

More a follow-up to The Avengers than a sequel to Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3 picks up some time after the events of Joss Whedon's 2012 blockbuster. Genius billionaire playboy philanthropist Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is having trouble dealing with the emotional aftermath of the events in The Avengers while mysterious terrorist The Mandarin (Ben Kingsly) is taking credit for a series of bombings. Meanwhile, handsome scientist Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) -- who has a history with both Stark and Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) -- seeks a partnership with Stark Industries.

Between Panels: Hot Toddy Talk

T'was the Moon Knight before Christmas...

It's Hot Toddy Talk, our 24 Panels 2012 Christmas Spectacular! Joined by Andrew Kannegiesser and James Hrivnak, Dave and Dru share their "Secret Santa" picks for 24 Panels-related holiday gift giving! From books to games to music to DVDs, we've got you covered when it comes to finding that special something for that special someone. 

Episode breakdown:

0:00 - 2:35: Dave's Christmas monologue

2:35 - 20:28: Intro banter (what we're drinking, holiday plans, Veg-pocalypse Nog 2012)

20:28 - 1:31:41: Secret Santa! (with an audio clip from Dave's first pick from 43:46 - 44:18)

1:31:41 - 1:39:03: Closing remarks

1:39:03 - 1:39:52: James' Christmas monologue

Send all feedback to twentyfourpanels@gmail.com. Stay up to date with our blogs at 24panelspersecond.blogspot.com and 24panels.tumblr.com. Follow Dave on Twitter @24panels and Dru @violetbooth. Remember that Dave live-tweets a different movie every Saturday night at 11PM! Like us on Facebook. Don't forget to subscribe (and review us) in iTunes! And if you like the show, please share it with your friends and on your social networks!

Next episode: G-Men From Hell...

Now hit the jump for links to all of our Christmas gift suggestions!

Reviews@24 Panels: X-MEN: FIRST CLASS (2011)

The opening of Bryan Singer's X-Men (2000) signaled its intentions as a weighty and serious comic book film, especially compared to the frivolousness the Batman franchise of the 1990s had become. That film's prologue, showing a young boy in a concentration camp being separated from his mother, is particularly effective and rather shocking. Matthew Vaughn’s X-Men: First Class opens exactly the same way – Vaughn painstakingly recreates the scene from Singer’s film right down to the camera angles and editing. It’s a bold, curious move and its intentions aren't exactly clear, but with it Vaughn's prequel essentially reboots the franchise (Preboot? C'mon people, help me out).

Reviews@24 Panels: X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE (2009)

While on hiatus from the X-Men series at large, 2009 saw the release of the ridiculously titled X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a spin-off and prequel (Spinquel? Prespin? Let's coin a term for this, stat!). The film, as the title suggests, provides Wolverine’s backstory at length, dealing primarily with the events that led him to be the adamantium-claw wielding anti-hero we've come to know and love.

Reviews@24 Panels: X-MEN (2000)

[To sort of piggy-back on the episode of X-Men: The Last Stand, I thought I would go back and revisit all five of the X-Men films.]

The X-Men comics have long been one of the most politically-charged series, giving the film franchise the potential to do the same. Released in 2000, Bryan Singer's X-Men focuses on the origins and introductions of a handful of characters familiar to comics readers: Professor X (Patrick Stewart), Magneto (Ian McKellen), Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), Rogue (Anna Paquin), Cyclops (James Marsden), Storm (Halle Berry), Jean Grey (Famke Jannsen), among others. The plot of the film hinges on a plan by Senator Robert Kelley (Bruce Davison) to enact a Mutant Registration Act, whereby mutants are to be publicly identified or “outed,” if you will. Professor X and Magneto have opposing approaches on the advocation of mutant rights, echoing Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and the civil rights movement of the 1960s.

Episode 38. X-MEN: THE LAST STAND (2006)

Our "Comics go to Washington" series begins with the most politically-charged of the original X-Men trilogy, X-Men: The Last Stand! It's also generally agreed to be the weakest of the three, but has time been kind to the Brett Ratner-directed trilogy capper? And what of its politics? As Churchill once said, "There comes a time when every man must OH YOU GET THE POINT." Tune in to this episode of 24 Panels Per Second to find out what Dru and Dave have to say. 

Episode breakdown:
0:00 - 20:51: Intro banter (Dru's outrage, shoe sizes, old man socks, the bee hunt)
20:51 - 21:42: X-Men: The Last Stand trailer
21:42 - 1:35:32: Main discussion: X-Men: The Last Stand
1:35:32 - 1:44:01: Closing remarks

Addenda:

• Check out episode 73 of the /Filmcast, where X2 co-screenwriter Mike Dougherty explains what was planned for the Bryan Singer-directed X3 before he jumped ship to direct Superman Returns. 
• Highlander: The Card Game. There can be only one deck!

Send all feedback to twentyfourpanels@gmail.com. Stay up to date with our blogs at 24panelspersecond.blogspot.com and 24panels.tumblr.com. Follow Dave on Twitter @24panels and Dru @violetbooth. Remember that Dave live-tweets a different comic book movie every Saturday night at 11PM! Like us on Facebook. And don't forget to subscribe (and review us) in iTunes!

Next time on 24 Panels: Who watches the Watchmen? (...We will.)

Episode 30. SPIDER-MAN (2002)

Spider-Man changed the game when it came to superhero films. Sam Raimi's adaptation was remarkably faithful to the spirit of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's original Spidey comics in the 1960s - but does that make it a good movie? Yes, we've got a gen-u-ine 24 Panels disagreement this time around!

Episode breakdown:
0:00 - 14:35: Intro banter
14:35 - 15:34: Spider-Man trailer
15:34 - 1:54:52: Main discussion
1:54:52 - 1:45:37: Closing remarks

Send all feedback to twentyfourpanels@gmail.com. Stay up to date with our blogs at 24panelspersecond.blogspot.com and 24panels.tumblr.com. Follow Dave on Twitter @24panels and Dru @violetbooth. Like us on Facebook. And don't forget to subscribe (and review us) in iTunes!

Next time on 24 Panels: Batman Begins...

Episode 29. MEN IN BLACK I (1997) & II (2002)

You know what the difference between other podcasts and 24 Panels is? Dru and Dave make podcastin' look goooooooood.

We're back with a new series - "Sequels, Reboots, and Finales, Oh My!" - exploring the films that are being sequelized or rebooted this very summer. And we're kicking it off with a double feature of the first two Men in Black films, based on Lowell Cunningham's The Men in Black comics. How do these sci-fi/comedy blockbusters stack up against the little-read, hard-to-find, black-and-white comics? Listen to this episode to find out.

Episode breakdown:
0:00 - 9:46: Intro banter (Dave's fever dream)
9:46 - 10:23: Men in Black trailer
10:23 - 53:16: Main discussion, part one: Men in Black
53:16 - 54:07: Men in Black II trailer
54:07 - 1:41:12: Main discussion, part two: Men in Black II
1:41:12 - 1:45:39: Closing remarks

Additional links:

Evangelos Tziallas on superheroes and surveillance in the National Post

Send all feedback to twentyfourpanels@gmail.com. Stay up to date with our blogs at 24panelspersecond.blogspot.com and 24panels.tumblr.com. Follow Dave on Twitter @24panels and Dru @violetbooth. Like us on Facebook. And don't forget to subscribe (and review us) in iTunes!

Next time on 24 Panels: Spider-Man..

Episode 27. DAREDEVIL (2003)

Are Dru and Dave men without fear? Certainly not, which is why they're recruited guest host James Hrivnak to join them in their trip to Hell's Kitchen, NYC to discuss Mark Steven Johnson's Daredevil. Even though it represents a serious improvment from the theatrical cut, we can all agree that Matt Murdock deserves a better film. Don't blame us, we're not the bad guys! Blame Mark Steven Johnson!

Episode breakdown:

0:00 - 15:00: Intro banter (Peter Weller as Batman in The Dark Knight Returns)

15:00 - 15:44: Daredevil trailer

15:44 - 1:39:39: Main discussion: Daredevil (with James Hrivnak)

Send all feedback to twentyfourpanels@gmail.com. Stay up to date with our blogs at 24panelspersecond.blogspot.com and 24panels.tumblr.com. Follow Dave on Twitter @24panels and Dru @violetbooth. Like us on Facebook. And don't forget to subscribe (and review us) in iTunes!

Next time on 24 Panels: The Dark Knight...

BETWEEN PANELS: Avengers Assemble! (Part Two)

We saw it, and based on the boffo box office (this is one of those rare times when a word like "boffo" is truly appropriate), you did too! On this bonus episode of 24 Panels Per Second, we discuss The Avengers: what it does right, where it's lacking, and what it means both for the future of Marvel Studios and the future of the superhero genre in film. It takes us almost 100 minutes.

Send all feedback to twentyfourpanels@gmail.com. Stay up to date with our blog at 24panelspersecond.blogspot.com. Follow Dave on Twitter @24panels and Dru @violetbooth. Like us on Facebook. And don't forget to subscribe (and review us) in iTunes!

Next time on 24 Panels: The Crow...

BETWEEN PANELS: Avengers Assemble! (Part One)

Dru and Dave's excitement about The Avengers could not be contained in a single Between Panels bonus episode! In the first half of this epic, two-part Between Panels, D&D discuss their impressions of the  "Road to The Avengers" films and what they're hoping to get out of Joss Whedon's upcoming team-up film. Stay tuned for next week's exciting conclusion, in which we nurse a post-Avengers hangover.

THIS IS A BONUS EPISODE. If you're new to the show, we'd recommend starting elsewhere.

Send all feedback to twentyfourpanels@gmail.com. Stay up to date with our blog at 24panelspersecond.blogspot.com. Follow Dave on Twitter @24panels and Dru @violetbooth. Like us on Facebook. And don't forget to subscribe (and review us) in iTunes!

Episode 25. NICK FURY: AGENT OF SHIELD

Alright guys, we made it. Let's do a head count.

We're finally through with the surprisingly challenging MADE-FOR-TV AVENGERS series, but only once we reckon with 1998's Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD starring David Hasselhoff. Dru spends most of the episode trying to change the subject while David tries to veer us back on course. Both agree that Nick Fury has camp classic written all over it.

Episode breakdown:
0:00 - 22:05: Intro banter (The Dark Knight Rises runtime, The Three Stooges, miscellaneous bickering)
22:05 - 22:32: Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD trailer (likely fan-made)
22:32 - 1:19:00: Main discussion: Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD

1:19:00 - 1:26:54: Closing remarks

Send all feedback to twentyfourpanels@gmail.com. Stay up to date with our blog at 24panelspersecond.blogspot.com. Follow Dave on Twitter @24panels and Dru @violetbooth. Like us on Facebook. And don't forget to subscribe (and review us) in iTunes!

Additional links:

Next time on 24 Panels: The Crow...

Preview Post - NICK FURY: AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D.

Dru and David abandon superheroes this week to take a look at Marvel’s roughest and toughest hero, the super spy Nick Fury in the 1998 made-for-TV film Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.!

Nick Fury is the creation of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, though his initial appearance was a tad bit different than the super spy we know and love. Originally, Nick Fury first appeared in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos in 1963, a World War II-set combat title following Nick Fury and his team as they battle the Nazis. 

A hit, it would only be a few months later that Nick Fury would pop up in the contemporary Marvel universe in The Fantastic Four #21 as a C.I.A. agent, this time with his iconic eye-patch. Fury would finally be associated with the S.H.I.E.L.D. organization a few months after that, acting as a top secret agent in the battle against the terrorist organization HYDRA. Originally, the S.H.I.E.L.D. acronym stood for “Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage, Law-Enforcement Division”, before more recently being altered to the “Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate”.

While the modern Fury’s stories were initially started by Lee and Kirby in Strange Tales #135, stories which established most of the major elements of S.H.I.E.L.D., from its mission to the technology they use, starting with issue 151 writer and illustrator Jim Steranko took over the creative duties on the book, launching what would become one of the most influential runs not only in terms of the character, but in terms of the medium itself. With his innovative art style and storytelling technique, Steranko has influenced an entire generation of readers and future comic creators with his work. The success of these stories would lead to the short lived Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. comic, which was eventually cancelled when Steranko left the title.

Both Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. would continue on in the Marvel Universe, playing major roles in dealing with Marvel’s superhero characters, as well as becoming active participants in most of Marvel’s major crossover events in the past decade. These days, however, Fury no longer acts as a member of S.H.I.E.L.D., but instead has gone underground, leading the Secret Warriors, a group made up of super powered individuals and ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.

Perhaps the most famous recent event in the history of the character, however, was his reinvention as part of the Ultimate Marvel Universe, an alternative line of comics which follows a darker and (relatively) more grounded version of the Marvel universe designed to attract new readers by ditching years of continuity and starting from scratch. Instead of being Italian American, Ultimate Nick Fury is African American, with his look modeled after actor Samuel L. Jackson. A General in this universe, Fury still leads the secret organization S.H.I.E.L.D., which in addition to its regular security duties, takes a more active interest in the superhumans of this universe. This interest leads to the formation of the Ultimates, Ultimate Marvel’s version of the Avengers, a narrative thread which has become central to Marvel's cinematic universe in the lead up to The Avengers.

Prior to the 1990s, Fury did not appear outside of the comics. This changed with the various Marvel animated series which began to appear during the 1990s, with the character making appearances in Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and Spider-Man: The Animated Series. In all three series, the character is voiced by the late Philip Abbott (and later on, Jack Angel) and based on the original version of Nick Fury.

The character would again appear in Spider-Man Unlimited in a brief cameo at the start of the series, voiced in this instance by Mark Gibbon:

The character would again reappear in the early 2000s animated series X-Men Evolution, voiced by Highlander: The Series star Jim Byrnes:

The character would make his next animated series appearance in the short lived but acclaimed Wolverine and the X-Men. The appearance of Fury in this version is a merging together of the original version of Fury and his Ultimate Marvel counterpart. A similar merging of the two versions of the character takes place in the recent animated series Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes. In both cases, he is voiced by Alex Désert, who co-starred on the 1990s Flash television series:

Versions of Nick Fury modeled entirely on the Ultimate Comics version of the character have appeared in two animated series, The Marvel Super Hero Squad Show and the upcoming Ultimate Spider-Man animated series, where he will be voiced by Chi McBride:

But without question, the most famous adaptation of the character is in the Marvel Studios films, where the character is played by Samuel L. Jackson, as God (or, in this case, Mark Millar) intended. The character will be appearing in the upcoming film The Avengers, bringing the major Marvel heroes together into one dysfunctional group:

Still, before there was Sam Jackson, there was a little 1998 TV movie starring the one, the only, David Hasselhoff. The film is written by David Goyer, the screenwriter who has perhaps written more comic book adaptations than anyone on this Earth, with credits including Blade, Blade II, Blade Trinity, The Crow: City of Angels, the upcoming Man of Steel, and a little film known as Batman Begins:

The film is directed by Ron Hardy, who has worked primarily in television, directing episodes of The X-Files, Dollhouse, and The Mentalist.

So join us on our next episode as we take a trip back to the 1990s with Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.! Below is the trailer, though to be honest, I cannot tell if this is an original trailer or a fan made one, given how it has been edited:

Episode 24. THE INCREDIBLE HULK RETURNS (1988)

This week, Dru and David are back with the second instalment of the MADE-FOR-TV AVENGERS series with The Incredible Hulk Returns, the classic team-up between the Hulk and Thor. The film was originally intended as a backdoor pilot for a proposed ongoing Thor television series, but like Dru's proposed spinoff from 24 Panels - Hot Toddy Talk - it sadly never came to be. By Odin's beard!

Episode breakdown:
0:00 - 13:37: Intro banter (Sin City 2 and Sabrina the Teenage Witch announced, Avengers buzz, #hoganfacts)
13:37 - 14:07: The Incredible Hulk Returns trailer
14:07 - 1:23:09: Main discussion: The Incredible Hulk Returns
1:23:09 - 1:26:28: Closing remarks

Send all feedback to twentyfourpanels@gmail.com. Stay up to date with our blog at 24panelspersecond.blogspot.com. Follow Dave on Twitter @24panels and Dru @violetbooth. Like us on Facebook. And don't forget to subscribe (and review us) in iTunes!

Next time on 24 Panels: Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D....

Episode 23: CAPTAIN AMERICA/CA2: DEATH TOO SOON (1979)

24 Panels Per Second is back from their month off with a double-feature of Captain America and Captain America II: Death Too Soon, both made-for-TV movies from 1979 starring Reb Brown and (scene-stealer?) Len Birman. It's the first instalment in our MADE-FOR-TV AVENGERS series, leading up to the release of Joss Whedon's big-budget Avengers movie next month. It can't possibly be worse than these.

Episode breakdown:
0:00 - 22:18: Intro banter (the Ninja Turtles controversy)
22:18 - 22:51: Captain America trailer
22:51 - 1:13:22: Discussion: Captain America
1:13:22 - 1:14:01: Captain America II: Death Too Soon trailer
1:14:01 - 1:30:57: Discussion: Captain America II: Death Too Soon
1:30:57 - 1:34:15: Closing remarks

Send all feedback to twentyfourpanels@gmail.com. Stay up to date with our blog at 24panelspersecond.blogspot.com. Follow Dave on Twitter @24panels and Dru @violetbooth. Like us on Facebook. And don't forget to subscribe (and review us) in iTunes!

Next time on 24 Panels Per Second: The Incredible Hulk Returns (and he brings Thor along for the ride!)...

Lizard Concept Art from THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN!

Instead of hemming and hawing over the designs of a Lizard Pez dispenser, some kind folks decided to post an actual picture of the Lizard concept art from Marc Webb's upcoming The Amazing Spider-Man. The pic shows Dr. Curt Conners (played by Rhys Ifans in the film) fully transformed into the villain we've come to know and love as The Lizard. It's probably no surprise that he bares little resemblance to his lab coat and purple pants-wearing comic book counterpart, but we remain cautiously optimistic that the film proper won't feature too many CGI-heavy fights.

What If? SPIDER-MAN (1986)

[Most casual fans of comic book films probably don't realize that almost every major comic book adaptation has gone through what the industry has termed "development hell." The column 'What If?' looks at our favourite heroes trapped in a "developmental Phantom Zone," if you will. This first edition looks at the Cannon Films' Spider-Man.]

The first big screen appearance of Spider-Man didn't come to fruition until Sam Raimi's excellent 2002 film, yet Marvel had been pushing for a film based on everyone's favourite neighbourhood web-slinger for nearly two decades. After the film rights to Spider-Man bounced around for a few years between Columbia Pictures and Roger Corman, they fell into the hands of Israeli producing duo Golan/Globus. The two were the heads of Cannon Films, a studio notorious for low-budget, schlocky action films.

When they acquired the rights to the character, screenwriter Leslie Stevens (TV's Buck Rogers, Return to the Blue Lagoon) began work on a script which radically changed the character. Peter Parker would have worked for the Zyrex Corporation, and would have been an unsuspecting pawn in an experiment by the evil Dr. Zyrex. Doused with radiation, Parker became a mutant of sorts, described as a half-man, half-tarantula. At this point in time, Texas Chainsaw Massacre director Tobe Hooper was to helm the project.

Stan Lee rejected the story, Stevens and Hooper left the project when a new draft was commissioned. Scheduled for a Christmas 1986 release, Spider-Man was written by Ted Newsom (Evil Spawn) and John Brancato (The Game, Catwoman), and directed by Joseph Zito (Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, Missing in Action). This new script (which you can actually read here) is more faithful to the source material, and pits Spidey against Dr. Octopus, with Liz Allen as a love interest. Spidey's origin is close to the one in the comics, though now it's tied to the ill-fated experiment that creates Doc Ock. Cannon were really gearing up for this, spendig as much as $2 million on pre-production, and going so far as prematurely releasing a teaser trailer (using music from Richard Donner's Superman).

The film was to star stunt man Scott Leva as Peter Parker and Bob Hoskins as Doc Ock (though Hoskins never actually committed to the film). Some comics readers may remember the cover of The Amazing Spider-Man issue #262 from March, 1985 and wonder what that was all about. Well, it was a promo still of Leva as Spidey (in some tight, tight jeans). The Christmas '86 release date came and went without Spider-Man, theoretically disappointing millions of fans who had heard rumblings of the film and seen the teaser. For reasons not fully known (but probably attributed to budget complications, disapproval from Stan Lee) by the end of 1986, the project went on hiatus and Zito jumped ship. In the interim, Cannon produced another comic book film, the proverbial nail-in-the-coffin that is Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.

Sometime around 1989, the whole thing landed in the lap of director Albert Pyun who stayed with the project for another couple of drafts, where Doc Ock was dropped as the villain and replaced by The Night Ghoul, a vampire-like creature (not dissimilar to Morbius, just lamer, I suppose). Yet another draft was written, this one dropping The Night Ghoul in favour of a new villain known as "Doc," (not of the Octopus variety) peddling a dangerous new drug known as "T-Devil." Finally, the whole thing was shelved, though producer Menahem Golan and director Pyun did bring another superhero to the screen with 1990's Captain America.

The property left the Cannon Film Group in 1990 and was picked up by Carolco, where James Cameron became involved. But that's a whole other tangled web...

(see what I did there?)

Reviews@24 Panels: CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER (2011)

Ever since that tag on the end credits of 2008's Iron Man, the so-called Marvel Cinematic Universe has been building towards the big team-up film The Avengers, and Joe Johnston's Captain America: The First Avenger is the final stop before that film's summer 2012 release.

The primary action of Captain America occurs during the height of the U.S.'s involvement in World War II. Steve Rogers (Chris Evans, formerly The Human Torch from Fantastic Four and its sequel) is small, asthmatic, and weak, but by golly, does he love the good ol' U-S-of-A. So much so he's attempted to sign up for service overseas no less than five times, and each time rejected because he's, well, small, asthmatic, and weak. At the funnest looking fun fair this side of Disney World, Rogers meets German emigrant scientist Abraham Erskine (an always welcome Stanley Tucci), who selects the young lad for a "super-soldier" experiment. The experiment is a success and Rogers becomes insanely buff and strong, yet, after a German spy infiltrates and kills Erskine, he becomes relegated to a cog in the propaganda machine selling war bonds, now dubbed Captain America. While doing a USO show in Italy, Cap leads an unsanctioned mission to rescue captured soldiers. Here the Army learns of the Red Skull's plans for World Domination. Can Cap and his ragtag squad of colourful personalities save democracy?

Reviews@24 Panels: PUNISHER: WAR ZONE (2008)

The few times I read Punisher comics in my youth I thought, "Gee, that Newman from Seinfeld would make a great Microchip." And y'know what? He does. Casting Wayne Knight as Microchip - the Punisher's friend/ally/technology whiz - is one of the few things the third attempt at a Punisher film gets right.